Flextime is intended to create flexible conditions that help employees integrate their work and personal lives more effectively.
Flextime is an arrangement that allows an employee to alter the starting and/or end time of her/his workday. Employees still work the same number of scheduled hours as they would under a traditional schedule. It is also a flexible work option for positions that do not easily support remote work.
The following guidelines are presented to assist in developing employee flextime arrangements that are equitable, clearly understood, and to the mutual benefit of the unit/department and employee. Employees and supervisors are expected to follow these principles in managing flextime arrangements.
Definition and Purpose
Flextime is an arrangement that allows an employee to alter the start and end times of their work day around the normal schedule of 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Flextime includes:
- Individualized start and end times that remain constant each work day
e.g., 7 a.m.–4 p.m. or 9 a.m.–6 p.m. with one-hour lunch Monday through Friday - Individualized start and end times that vary daily with the same number of hours worked each day
e.g., 7 a.m.–4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday with one-hour lunch - Individualized start and end times with varied hours by day, but consistency in the total number of hours worked weekly
e.g., 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday with one-hour lunch - Extended lunch period offset by additional time at the start and/or end of the work day
e.g., 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. with two-hour lunch - Compressed lunch period (not less than legally-mandated 30 minutes after six hours of work) offset by reduced time at the start and/or end of the day
e.g., 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. with half-hour lunch Monday through Friday.
Flextime does not reduce the total number of hours worked in a given week. Core hours are usually required when all employees must be at the worksite. The core period may vary depending upon the requirements of the position and operational needs of the unit/department.
Successful flextime arrangements serve the needs both of individual employees and their unit or department. The focus is on job performance and meeting business demands, including extended hours of operation. A written agreement clarifying both parties’ expectations is required.
Request and Approval
The employee initiates the request for flextime by submitting a formal proposal to their supervisor and/or unit/department head.
Supervisors and/or unit/department heads have the authority to approve flextime arrangements.
Flextime arrangement shall be initiated on a trial basis, and may be discontinued at any time at the request of either the employee or supervisor/department head. The unit/department reserves the right to immediately suspend the arrangement in case of unanticipated circumstances regarding employee performance or operational needs.
If the employee and supervisor/department head agree to a flextime arrangement, they must complete the Flexible Work Schedule Form. Agreements shall be time-specific with a date for review and reconsideration. Modifications and/or renewals shall be appropriately documented. The original shall be maintained in the employee’s personnel file, with copies for the employee and supervisor/department head.
Considerations
Operational needs, staffing patterns, space considerations, and health and safety issues may preclude granting a request for flextime.
The employee must be willing and able to alternate their work hours as requested by the supervisor/department head to attend to operational needs. There may be times when they will be required to work or travel outside of scheduled work hours.
In the event that more employees request flextime arrangements than a unit/department can reasonably manage, the supervisor/department head shall respond to requests that are consistent with these guidelines in ways that are fair to all employees and in the best interest of the university. Among the measures that might be adopted are remote work, staggering work hours, and rotating periods of flextime between employees.
Nature of Work
- Flextime for the employee should not negatively affect the workload or productivity of coworkers either by shifting burdens or creating delays and additional steps in the workflow. The supervisor/department head should ensure that other employees in the same unit/department understand how and why workplace flexibility functions.
Eligibility of Employee
- Flextime is not appropriate for all positions, or in all settings, or for all employees.
Responsibilities
The employee and supervisor/department head shall complete a Flexible Work Schedule Form. Changes in work schedule shall not be made without prior discussion and a revision to the agreement. In the case of represented employees, the supervisor/department head shall obtain review and approval of the proposed agreement from an Employee/Labor Relations Specialist to assure compliance with UC/Union Collective Bargaining Agreements and/or Fair Labor Standards Act.
The employee shall work the hours agreed upon and obtain approval from the supervisor/department head in advance of working any overtime.
The supervisor/department head shall maintain open communication, ensure that the employee’s hours of work do not fall below the normal workweek hours, and discuss with the employee any concerns as they arise.